TRPV1 expression in acupuncture points: response to electroacupuncture stimulation.

ABSTRACT

The present study was to examine the distribution of transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1) receptor immunoreactivity in the acupuncture points (acupoint), and determine the influences of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation on TRPV1 expression. EA stimulation of BL 40 was conducted in two sessions of 20 min separated by an 80 min interval in anesthetized rats. Sections of skin containing BL 40, and its non-meridian control were examined by immunolabeling with antibodies directed against TRPV1. Without EA, the number of subepidermal nerve fibers expressing TRPV1 was higher in the acupoint than in non-acupoint control skin (p<0.01). The subepidermal nerve fibers showed the co-localization of TRPV1 with peripherine, a marker for the C-fibers and A-δ fibers. The expression of TRPV1 in nerve fibers is significantly increased by EA stimulation in acupoints (p<0.01). However the upregulation in the non acupoint meridian and the non-meridian control skin was short of statistical significance. Double immunostaining of TRPV1 and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) revealed their co-localization in both the subepidermal nerve fibers and in the dermal connective tissue cells. These results show that a high expression of TRPV1 endowed with nNOS in subepidermal nerve fibers exists in the acupoints and the expression is increased by EA. We conclude that the higher expression of TRPV1 in the subepidermal nerve fibers and its upregulation after EA stimulation may play a key role in mediating the transduction of EA signals to the CNS, and its expression in the subepidermal connective tissue cells may play a role in conducting the local effect of the EA.